Horselords

of all the Tuigan and I will be more.'

Koja looked in silence at the khahan, startled by the outburst.

Still, the skepticism must have shown on the priest's face. Yamun heaved to his feet, splashing wine over the carpets. 'You doubt me? Teylas has promised it to me! Listen to him out there,' he shouted, pausing long enough for Koja to hear a particularly loud thunderclap. 'That's his voice. Those are his words. Most people live in fear of him. They pray and scream, afraid he'll call them to the test. But I'm not afraid. He's tested me and I still live.' Wobbling slightly from the drink, Yamun walked toward the door. 'He's calling to me now. Today.'

Koja stayed at his seat, trying to make sense of Yamun's ranting. The nightguard, however, dashed over to the doorway and flung himself down on the carpet. 'Great Prince,' he entreated, 'do not go outside! I beg it of you. There has never been a storm like this. It is an evil omen. Teylas has released his spirits upon us. If you go out they will try to snatch you away. Teylas is angry!'

'See,' Yamun shouted across the yurt at Koja. 'They all fear the storms, the might of Teylas. These are my soldiers-children! Move, guardsman,' he ordered, turning his attention back to the cowering man. 'I don't fear the wrath of Teylas. After all, I am the khahan. My ancestor was born the child of Teylas and the Blue Wolf.'

Arrogantly, Yamun strode past the kneeling man and unfastened the door flap. The heavy cloth immediately flew open with a crack. Cold rain blasted through the open doorway, swept in by the powerful wind. Foul ashes swirled up in choking clouds from the braziers. The warm air suddenly drained away.

'There. That is the might of Teylas,' Yamun bellowed, motioning toward the storm. 'Come, scribe, since you don't believe he talks to me.'

'Please, Great Lord,' Koja begged, shouting over the wind, 'stay inside.'

'No! You'll come and see because I've ordered it.' He strode over to Koja, grabbed him by the shoulder, and half-dragged him to the doorway. With an unceremonious push, Yamun shoved the priest into the blasting rain.

Koja stumbled and slipped, sliding down into the cold mud. Rain splashed into the slop and splattered thickly against him. A lance of lightning cut jaggedly through the night sky, illuminating the entire horizon. In the brief stab of light, Koja saw the dark form of Yamun standing over him, face to the sky, mouth wide open. The light lasted only an instant, and then the world was plunged back into darkness. Yamun's strong hand grabbed the priest's robes and hauled him out of the muck.

The two men set out, struggling and sliding their way down the slope. They walked through the icy mud, out the gate, and past yurts until they reached the horse pens outside the capital. Wind and rain lashed against their faces. Rivulets ran from Yamun's hair into his mustache, dribbling into his mouth. Huge drops ran down all sides of Koja's shaved head, washing away the gobs of mud.

'Teylas!' shouted Yamun, spitting water between each word. 'Here I am! Listen to me!' A distant bolt of lightning dimly lit the steppe, casting weird shadows over the pair. The wind swept the rain away from their faces for a moment and then whipped it back again. The hollow rumble of the distant bolt barely carried over the wind.

'He listens,' Yamun said confidently, letting go of Koja's shoulder. Suddenly unsupported, the priest stumbled backward and fell, floundering along an unexpectedly steep part of the bank. Oblivious to everything, Yamun strode forward until Koja could barely see the older man's bulky silhouette. Splashing through pools of foul, muddy water, Koja did his best to catch up.

Finally, the priest fell back into the mud, exhausted from stumbling and slipping in pursuit of the khahan. Occasional flashes of lightning had guided Koja, but now he had lost sight of Yamun. Horses screamed and whinnied somewhere nearby, their shrill cries rising over the rattling rain. Koja pushed himself out of the mud and splashed off in the direction of the noise.

'Teylas!' Yamun's voice came from somewhere off to the priest's left.

'Khahan!' Koja shouted, hoping Yamun would hear him.

A stroke of lightning, almost overhead, flooded the sky with light and thunder. Though his eyes hurt from the light, Koja could see Yamun off to the left. Around him were the shadowy shapes of horses, rearing and prancing in panic.

'Yamun Khahan!' he shouted. There was no answer.

The lightning illuminated the ground again, as if in response to Koja's shouts. In the moment of light, he saw Yamun, arms stretched to heaven, at the center of one of the horse corrals. The rain formed streaks of silver all around him.

Determined, Koja plunged forward into the darkness. His feet squished into the mud and threatened to slip out from under him at any second. Rainwater dripped down his eyebrows, blurring his sight. His robes, sodden and filthy, sagged and pulled on his frame.

Koja's shin smashed against something hard and solid-a fence. Shocked by the pain, the lama tried to hop back on one foot, then lost his balance. Both feet shot out from under him, kicking into the air. He sat in the muck at the foot of the corral fence, rubbing away the shooting streaks of pain that started at his shin and ran up his leg.

'Teylas, listen.. powerful. . rule …' Yamun's voice floated in snatches over the howling wind. Koja peered through the fence. He was close enough to see into the corral now, although he still could not make out anything clearly. Shielding his eyes from the rain, Koja peered through the horses' legs, straining to see Yamun.

The dim form of a man standing all alone was barely visible to Koja. The mares and stallions had all moved as far from him as possible, pressing their bodies against the fence. They stamped and kicked, their eyes wild with fear,

'Take my offering of thanks, Teylas. I have united my people, but with or without you, I must conquer,' Yamun shouted. Koja heard the words clearly as the wind dropped away to nothing. The rain pelted down in straight sheets, the thick drops deprived of their driving force.

Koja could see Yamun more clearly now. The khahan stood with his feet planted widely apart, arms akimbo, head tilted to the sky. He paid no mind to the rain as it pounded against his face. His clothes were plastered wetly to his body, but the khahan didn't care. He stood still, waiting.

There was a dazzling burst of light as the storm renewed its fury. Before the glare had died away, there was another stroke of lightning, closer and brighter than the first. It was followed by another, then another, and another. The explosions of light became continuous, first from the east, then west, north, and south. The rumble of thunder grew louder and more shattering, until it was a continuous barrage. The whinnies of the horses became screams of terror, piercing over the bass rolls of thunder.

Koja, trembling in fear, clapped his hands over his ears and sank down as close to the ground as he could. The posts of the corral thudded and shook as the panicked horses reared and lashed out with their hooves. Even though the sky was bright, Koja could barely see the khahan through the flailing hooves, but the man was unmoved by the pandemonium around him.

Just as Koja felt the storm was at its height, a luminous ball of sparkling blue swirled around Yamun, illuminating him clearly. It crackled and sizzled, a leaping electrical fire. Miniature bolts arced from the center, scorching and snapping as they hit the ground. At its heart, Yamun stood, unaffected by the charged flame.

Koja sat, dumbfounded. Then it dawned on him that the khahan might be in danger. 'Great Lord!' he shouted over the roaring storm.

'Yamun Khahan!' the priest shouted again, cupping his hands to add more volume to his voice.

In response a spark arced from the khahan and hurtled toward Koja. Flinching, Koja threw himself aside as the charge lazily flew past him. It hit the ground behind him and exploded in a shower of muck. The force of the blast knocked him forward into the fence, driving the air from his lungs. Koja sagged against the corral, stunned.

More sparks began flying from Yamun, drifting out over the corral. As each ball of lightning detached itself, the radiance enclosing the khahan diminished slightly. The horses went into a frenzy, galloping and wheeling to avoid the drifting sparks. The fence, too high to jump, penned them in.

There was a sizzling pop and a scream of equine pain. The steeds redoubled their efforts. The fence wobbled and banged. Koja slid back in the mud as hooves flailed just in front of his face, but the fence held firm. There was another frenzied whinny and pop, followed by a third. With each, the cries of the horses grew a little less.

Terror took hold of Koja, driving him with uncontrollable energy. He had to get away, get to safety. Panting, the lama crawled away from the corral, dragging himself across the rain-drenched ground. Behind him, the brilliant